Developing a Dental Infection Prevention and Control Protocol for Primary Healthcare Facilities in Plateau State

Infection prevention and control in primary dental care settings requires facility-specific protocols that account for resource constraints and workforce training realities in North Central Nigeria. This study developed a dental infection prevention and control protocol for primary healthcare facilities in Plateau State, North Central Nigeria. A professional protocol development methodology was applied, drawing on facility infection control audits of 25 PHC dental units in Jos North, Barkin Ladi, and Mangu LGAs, structured consultations with 15 PHC dental staff and 6 infection control specialists, and review of current CDC dental infection prevention guidelines and Nigeria FMOH infection control standards. Audits revealed critical gaps in autoclave maintenance (operational in only 52 percent of facilities), appropriate PPE availability (face shields absent in 72 percent), and segregated waste disposal (absent in 68 percent). The protocol developed addresses eight domains: hand hygiene standards, PPE use requirements by procedure type, instrument decontamination and sterilisation, dental unit waterline management, surface disinfection, single-use item management, sharps handling, and infectious waste segregation. Visual prompt cards for each domain are included for low-literacy settings. Expert review by eight infection control specialists confirmed the protocol's adequacy and practical implementability. The study recommends that the protocol be adopted by the Plateau State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, that autoclave validation checks be performed quarterly, and that annual infection control training be mandated for all dental staff at PHC level.

Keywords: infection prevention and control, primary healthcare dentistry, Plateau State, dental protocol, decontamination